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Abbas declares Hamas' militia force illegal

RAMALLAH (West Bank): Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Saturday declared Hamas' paramilitary militia in the Gaza Strip illegal, raising the stakes in the increasingly violent standoff between his Fatah party and the rival Islamic movement.

Hamas condemned Mr. Abbas' statement, accusing him of giving a ``green light'' for attacks against its men and pledging to resist any crackdown.

Mr. Abbas issued the decree two days after members of the Hamas force attacked the home of a senior security commander in Gaza, killing the man and seven of his bodyguards. The man led a unit that is loyal to Mr. Abbas' Fatah party.

Fatah and Hamas have been locked in a power struggle since the Islamic group defeated Fatah in parliamentary elections a year ago, gaining control over most government functions. The dispute has centred in large part around control of the powerful Palestinian security forces.

AP

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